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Syrian Ceasefire Lasts One Day

February 29, 2016

A Syrian rebel fighter from the Failaq al-Rahman brigade mans a position on the frontline against regime forces in the town of Arbin in the eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on February 26, 2016.

The calm in Syria was broken Sunday when six villages were hit by air strikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based human rights organization.

The identity of the jets was not known. It was unclear if the raids hit areas covered by the truce. Militants from the Islamic State and al-Qaida-linked forces in Syria are not part of the ceasefire.

Russia blamed Turkey for nine violations, according to the French news agency AFP.

A Syrian national flag waves as vehicles move slowly on a bridge during rush hour, in Damascus, Syria, Feb. 28, 2016.

The Syrian state media claimed “terrorist groups” fired mortars close to the Turkish border. A senior Saudi Arabian official alleged Syrian and Russian forces have committed violations in Syria.

The United States and its partners targeted the Islamic State terror group Saturday and Sunday.

U.S. President Barack Obama said the Islamic State’s territory in Syria is shrinking. He said the number of Islamic State fighters in the field is decreasing. The reduced numbers, the president said, are because the jihadists are having problems recruiting to refill the fighting ranks.

The temporary truce went into effect Friday. Members of the United Nations Security council endorsed the deal.

One United Nations diplomat called the weekend ceasefire “reassuring.”

I’m Jonathan Evans.

The staff at VOA News wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

underway – adv. happening now

frail – adj. - easily damaged or destroyed

mortar – n. a military weapon used to fire shells high into the air at a low speed

alleged – adj. accused of having done something wrong or illegal but not yet proven guilty

air strike – n. an attack in which military airplanes drop bombs

jets – n. a fast airplane that has one or more jet engines

recruit – v. to find suitable people and get them to join a company, an organization or the armed forces

endorse – v. to publicly or officially say that you support or approve of something